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‘I wouldn’t dare take these drugs’: how China supplies untested peptides to the west

A detailed view of a syringe device being held in a hand, ready for use.
Photo: Getty Images

The success of weight-loss drugs has driven demand for injectable compounds that claim to improve everything from sleep to skin.

29 January, 2026 by Eleanor Olcott in Beijing

In nondescript office blocks across China, salespeople are pitching injectable drugs to overseas customers, fuelling a fast-growing black market in peptides — compounds that online influencers claim can improve everything from sleep and memory to skin elasticity.

The surge has been driven partly by the